Trieste is once again at the heart of the debate on the future of human rights and duties thanks to the online meeting held on May 17 last. The event Human Rights and Duties in the 3rd Millennium was organized by ICHD – International Council of Human Duties with the University of Trieste, in collaboration with our college and the support of the CRTrieste Foundation, and was moderated by Edoardo Vigna, a journalist for the Italian daily Corriere della Sera.
The online meeting began with the greetings by the Dean of the University of Trieste, Roberto Di Lenarda, who declared himself excited to be in the very same hall where in 1991 the Nobel laureate Rita Levi-Montalcini was awarded the title of Doctor honoris causa and where she delivered her unexpected address on “Human rights and duties at the threshold of the 3rd millennium” strongly supporting the need for a Charter of Human Duties: a code of ethics and shared responsibility for safeguarding human dignity, protecting the environment and future generations and contributing to the maintenance of peace among peoples.
The President of the International Council of Human Duties (ICHD), Sergio Paoletti, has therefore decided to relaunch this charter of human duties exactly thirty years from that day in the very place where Levi Montalcini’s words stirred the audience, among which was Abdus Salam, Nobel laureate for Physics and founder of the ICTP in Trieste. Paoletti recalls how “Abdus Salam was excited by Levi Montalcini’s speech. So on that day we had two Nobel laureates – one in physics and the other in medicine – who were joined by the scientific community and started this big adventure which involved 16 Nobel laureates over the years and more than 80 famous academicians from all over the world”. Thus in 1993 the “Trieste Decalaration of Human Duties” was issued, based on an idea of Professor Roger Sperry (Nobel laureate for medicine in 1981), supported by Professor Rita Levi-Montalcini herself and laid down by a global committee of scientists coordinated by the University of Trieste and the ICHD (see attached document at the bottom of this page).
Since Rita Levi-Montalcini herself had indicated the involvement of the younger generations as crucial, this event started with an interview by three UWC Adriatic students, coordinated by the teacher Maria Canfora (Giacomo Yong Cuomo – Italy/Singapore, Emma Talbi Zanetti – Belgium, and Michal Freikman – Israel). The students interviewed the directors of three distinguished international research centers in Trieste: Lawrence Banks, Director-General of ICGEB – International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology; Atish Dabholkar, Director of ICTP – The Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics and Stefano Ruffo, Director of SISSA – International School of Advanced Studies.
These scientists spoke with our three students about the importance of access to education, respect for inalienable rights and duties, the role of technology and research, Internet accessibility, the correct approach to information, the responsibility of scientists to communicate effectively with the public and the importance of multidisciplinary perspectives. All the speakers acknowledged that the challenge of the 21st century is to make everyone aware that “we cannot talk about rights without talking about duties”, as Gandhi himself had stated.
The event ended with a talk on “Sustainability, Science and Politics in the Third Millennium” by Jeffrey Sachs, one of the most influential economists of our time, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, senior advisor to the United Nations and one of the world’s leading experts in economic development, global macroeconomics and the fight against poverty. Sachs underlined the profound relevance today of the 1993 Trieste Declaration of Human Duties, indicating how the challenges it describes are at the heart of many of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. He concluded his remarks hoping that the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 2023, may provide an opportunity to amend and update of some of rights it proclaims as well as to adopt at a global level a Charter of Duties, inspired by the Trieste Declaration.
UWC Adriatic’s long-standing enthusiasm for the Rita Levi-Montalcini’s initiative is deeply rooted in shared principles and goals. (…)
I have greatly appreciated the active and productive commitment of College students for the success of the event held on May 17, 2021. ICHD is deeply grateful for the unwavering support it has received from the College’s leadership, faculty and students in our joint endeavour to implement a code of ethics and shared responsibilities.
